David A. Rice feels like Mitt Romney wrote him off.
The 61-year-old has always been a values-based voter, generally votes Republican and could be a key vote in the swing state of Florida. But he's also among the 47% of Americans that Mitt Romney said don't pay income tax and rely on government support.
"There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney says in a clip from a secretly filmed private donor meeting in May, which was first posted on Monday afternoon. "There are 47% who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing."
Romney's '47%' – Washington's tax-break obsession to blame
Rice says he is working part-time and doesn't pay taxes because he can't find a good job. And the fact that Romney wrote him off in those comments is frustrating.
"I am insulted. I support you and you just wrote me off with the 47% who pay no taxes. In that group are those who cry every time they use food stamps; people who would trade them in a minute for a real job. In that group are Christians who shudder at the thought of voting for abortion and gay rights," he wrote in an iReport. "You have strengths that appeal to the demographic you just wrote off ... use it! In the middle of rich supporters you cannot afford to write off a huge group with a careless word."
The 61-year-old said that he has been forced once or twice to take food stamps - and unlike what Romney contends in his comments - he maintains it was not something he was proud of or hopes to ever have to do again.
"It really hurt me," the iReporter told CNN. "It was not something that I wanted to do, I did it because I didn't have a job."
Rice says he didn't think it was right for Romney to lump every low-income person into the same group.
"Not everyone who takes food stamps is a food stamps junkie," Rice told CNN. "There are people who think the government owes them a living and that the government ought to take care of them and be their momma and daddy all their life. That doesn't apply to everyone."
It all left Rice a bit uneasy.
Which leads to the big questions swirling around the Romney campaign: How much damage will Romney's comments do to his chances for winning the election? Were his comments a big enough gaffe, combined with previous missteps, to really dent his campaign? Were his comments just the brutal truth others don't want to hear? Will it sway the votes of Republicans, independents or the undecided?
Rice says he'll still be voting for Romney because of the candidate's social views. But he knows it may not be the same for others.
"I think it was a mistake on his part because he insulted a lot of people who he needs to vote for him," he said.
CNN asked our readers on Facebook what they thought about the remarks and more than 71% said Romney was wrong and should apologize. Twenty-four percent of readers who answered our unscientific poll said he was right, and it was something someone needed to say. Just about 4.5% felt that Romney was right but shouldn't have phrased the remarks the way he did.
Nevin Sanli, from Los Angeles, California, said he is in the 47% and Romney's recent remarks, as well as other gaffes, have sealed his decision to vote for Obama.
"I never took a penny in help or government assistance money or otherwise. I own two businesses, and all I have been doing, along with my business partners, is creating jobs. I am not a victim," Sanli said in response to the CNN poll on Facebook. "I worked hard and built it all from scratch and I pay a lot of taxes. I am not as rich as Romney, but I sure pay a much bigger percentage of my income in taxes than he does. I find his remarks to be un-American, shocking and insulting."
And definitely unbecoming a president, he added.
"Elitism, silver-spoon arrogance and outright divisive statements, with undertones of racism, cannot be attributes of an American president," Sanli wrote.
For his part, Romney has stood behind the comments from the secretly recorded video. They were an honest reflection of his campaign's message, he said.
"This is a message I'm carrying day in and day out and will carry over the coming months," Romney said on Fox News. "This is a decision about the course of America, where we're going to head. We've seen the president's policies play out over the last four years."
Kristopher Daughtrey agreed with those tough words and took them to show that Romney won't shy away from the truth and will stick to his convictions.
"I applaud Romney for his remarks. He's the only one willing to not sugarcoat it. I'm not a huge supporter of either party, but at least Romney has the guts to speak out frankly about it, instead of Obama, Congress, and other politicians trying to justify their actions constantly or running away with their tail between their legs," Daughtrey said. "If you're going to be president then you need to have the backbone to walk the walk and not just talk about it."
Jason Asselin, an iReporter from Iron Mountain, Michigan, is an independent who says that he generally votes for the best candidate, despite their affiliation, though he likes the ideas and stances of the tea party.
While Asselin is normally a critic of Obama, he said Romney's comments really angered him because he doesn't pay taxes, but it isn't because he doesn't want to.
"I try paying taxes each year and every year they say we don't make enough, it isn't that I don't want to pay my taxes - they won't take them," he says. "Our government put rules and regulations in place for the lower class of people. It isn't our fault for falling under that. I don't like being called the 47%, I'd like to be called American."
Asselin said he is frustrated that Romney makes assumptions about how he will vote. And he is not alone.
Jeff Zicker, 21, might have been a candidate for the 47% category. He's college-aged, but left college because he landed a job performing with a national Broadway tour. He worked two jobs all through college, and these days he pays all his taxes, which puts him in the 53% category.
“For (Romney) to say his plan only appeals to those who don’t victimize themselves just further proves how out of touch he is with the rest of the American public,” he said.
Zicker is a moderate Democrat who will be voting for Obama this fall.
“I honestly believe that somebody that would say that a large of a portion of Americans, that this group victimizes themselves and tries to appeal to voters in that way, I don’t think that shows that they would be fit in any way to be president," he said.
But others say that Romney is merely beginning a dialogue that many Americans refuse to have. Steven Evans said that he thinks the discussion is an important one as the country moves forward.
"It is time to start a national dialogue on whether we are creating a major dependency class," he said on Facebook. "I am glad to see him tell the truth. Let's decide whether we are going the way of Greece or the traditional USA."
But some believe that having that conversation with only half of the country is problematic.
“It’s not in touch with what America’s values are and what we should be in a country," Zicker said of Romney's comments. "At the end of the day, we’re all connected. What I do affects you economically and socially. We shouldn’t see it as an one-for-all system.”
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@Farah What does paying state taxes have anything to do with the federal government? There is no need to even put that into consideration when comes to federal income taxes and who pays what. Also, the point that the top 10% of Americans pay the most into taxes makes little sense as to why you were using it justify that 47% do not pay income taxes. If anything it is a glaring reality that not everyone is contributing to make this country great. We should not have to rely on only 10% to contribute, we should all be working towards reviving this once great nation. Not to be cliche but to quote John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. ”
Most of these peole he wants to tax are the people who did the right thing, paid into SS, medicare and the military paid the price, war. So what has the wealthy done made accounts offshore legal and if you make 40-60% of the money you should pay your share, not hide it in offshore banks to avoid taxes and not get breaks on capital gains and make the 47% pay more, with less loopholes, hello.
47% of the population is not dependent upon the gov. Most people that received social security use it to supplement their income, so social security is not their sole source of income. Mitt insulted a lot of people with his remarks. For those that do need the gov support many would gladly give the food stamps and other gov money back for a job that pays them enough to support their family. This is something Mitt and others don't understand. Mitt tell the republican congress to pass the jobs bill and this will solve some of the problems and reduce the 47% number.
You are just wrong. Romney was not referring to people who are working and striving to make a living. He was talking about those who depend entirely on the government for their existance. CNN is spreading this false interpretation of his speech and you are to shallow to know that.
Mitt Romney wasn't referring to SS. You paid into that, you deserve it. He's talking about people that are abusing government handouts. Obama's policies are enabling people to sit around and do nothing because they don't have to. Mitt didn't state his mind in the most eloquent manor, but he is 100% correct. Obama's policies are driving America in the wrong direction. He's got to go.
Sure he was. Of the 47% many work they just don't earn enough to pay taxes under the Bush tax cut. Same goes for SS. Bottom line if congress passed the jobs bill we probably would not be having this discussion. Unless you think 47% of the population is on welfare?
Those are the people he is talking about people who do not pay federal tax. Look it up.
Even true conservatives don't agree with Romney. Its not like those 47% are all democrats voting Obama. Romney is hanging himself and its laughable.
Truthbetold, you name is a oxymoron of your remarks. You are a victim of bias media. You should set yourself free.
You poor creature! You're obviously one of the liberal dimwits who has to tune in to CNN to find out what you think!
He spoke the truth which is more then we can say for OBAMA
Yeeeeeeees! Excellent comment!
It isa truth. It's the news media trying to make it an issue to distract from Obama's failed Presidency that is the real issue. Are they covering that the Romney tape was edited? Of course not. If it were reversed and it was an Obama tape that was edited – that would be the story, not the tape.
The top 1% pay 35.7% of the taxes for a total of $318 billion Source: U. S. Government
· The top 25% pay 65.8% of the taxes for a total of $755 billion
The bottom 50% pay 2.3% of the taxes for a total of $19 billion.
So???
I wished more people understood this. I dont care what percentage the wealthy pay in taxes. I just want to have the chance to make more money for myself and my family. The best way to reduce the taxes for EVERYONE is to stop spending so much!
Lets cut Gov't spending by 25% !
Romney should have clarified that the 47% that will vote for Obama are not only the welfare receipians but also good wage earners but hard core democrats that no matter how bad is Obama they will go with him to end of the world, never critsize him no matter what he will do or say. It remind me Germany in the 30's.
Y C – I couldn't agree more. I wish they gave 'likes' here I'd give you 10!!
If more people understood how Hilter got all the followers, they would probably be really concerned about the direction our government is heading.
rdpslp: They do tax 35% on the rich if you earn it at your job. They don't tax it that way if it's an investment. And you can't get out of paying those investment taxes if you move to an island somewhere, you still have to pay them. Unless you denounce your citizenship, which I seriously doubt many people would do. Some would, but probably not many.
Excellent post, Milke! Nice to see intelligent comments here.
Mike, I understand how the tax code works! Most of the ultra rich don't receive a W-2 wage. The income is derived from schedule C or Schedule E income and isn't taxed until all the deductions and tax loopholes are taken into account whereby they arrive at the 15% paid in taxes that is being thrown out there for many of these wealthy people. That's the problem people paid through W-2 and make $60,000 per year pay 36% of their income in taxes which equates to $21,600 and heaven forbit someone who makes $3,000,000 and pays 15% which is still $450,000!!!!! You telling me it isn't fair? My point is cash out completely, sell the business pay your taxes and capital gains taxes and whatever else and take your $100 million in some cases and quit supporting the broke system! As one of you liberals pointed out how much money do they need any way???? $100 million should provide a very nice living on a beach sipping marguritas looking at senoritas!!!!!
The truth about Mitt comments are they reflect who Mitt is and he don't care about people who are less fortunate than he is. The mistake would be to vote for someone who don't care about half the population.
Who told you that? Did you make that up all by yourself? Are you on medication? Are you a hopeless liberal who denies the truth when its staring at you.
You are wrong.
and how does Obama care for you?
Congratulations – only a LIBERAL can manage to shovel 50 pounds of horse manure into a 30 pound sack! Muppet!
TRUTH. We ALL know it we've ALL said it! Cope!
Having scanned this page, I notice that "Obamamama" has posting continuously since yesterday. Why aren't you working? Do you really have time to troll CNN commentary 24/7? Oh, thats right we're paying for you.
Mitt comments that 47% of the population don't pay taxes is wrong. Only 5 states don't have sales taxes and unless the 47% live in those states then the vast majority of Americans pay some kind of tax.
You are fishing again. The people Mitt was referring to do not earn anything but get everything from the government and have the audacity to call themselves victims. How much sales tax does one pay when the government gives it to them?
I just love how the press has twisted the statement. Romney did not say 47% of the population – he said 47% of the people who vote for Oblama. If 50% of the population voted for Oblama then 47% of them or roughly 25% of the total population is a voter without hesitation for Oblama. A party line voter!
Being a retired person, and a Vet I get checks and health from the government – I too am afraid of what will happen to care in the USA over time but I am not voting for Oblama – he had his chance. Just like any other job – you don't do your expected/promised work – you are fired!
good don't vote for Obama stay home ....
Of the 47% stated half are Republicans that vote for Romney; they are all not Democrats. Why does he insult his own following?
I will fire the republican congress first.
Ok so Romney's 47% is inaccurate. That doesn’t mean what Mitt was trying to say isn’t true. Generally speaking, Romney was saying that there is a good portion of Obama supporters that he will never be able to take away from Obama. Out of those supporters Romney is then saying that a majority of them are dependent on government handouts. Now the first part of that statement is true anyway you spin it Romney won’t get those voters. The second part is a jab at those voters, something he can do since he knows he won’t get their support either way.
I like how news groups poll people and ask “are you a victim?” who is ever going to say “Yes, I’m a victim and I have given up all hope.” Nobody wants to look like a dirt bag. But I do know people that are out of jobs and have been out of jobs because they wont consider taking a pay cut doing something else so they fit and complain and say ‘oh Im trying’ but they arnt.
Romney won't be taking away OBama supporters, but to call them dependent on Government and that is why they won't vote for Twit is just dumb politics. He was pandering to his stuck up crowd. I really doubt any dumb @ss hillbillies will vote Obama.
The problem is, many if not most of the 47% who do not pay federal income tax are Republican supporters! So his main point that government dependent people will always vote for Obama is WRONG.
Frankly, it worries me that he doesn't seem to understand the plight of the working and middle class.
You do realize that majority of the 47% that don't pay federal income taxes are from states that went to McCain in 08? Most likely, a higher percentage of those people who don't pay federal taxes (compared to the average voting population) are Republicans.
Are we still pretending people care about this story?
Denying it isn't going to make it go away, no matter what Republicans hope. For once, Romney actually expressed his real opinion. Obama certainly isn't perfect, but he's a much better President than Romney ever would be.
Say Goodnight, Mitt!